Palaeoraphe

Last updated

Palaeoraphe
Temporal range: Burdigalian
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Coryphoideae
Tribe: Trachycarpeae
Subtribe: Livistoninae
Genus: Palaeoraphe
Poinar, 2002
Species:
P. dominicana
Binomial name
Palaeoraphe dominicana
Poinar, 2002

Palaeoraphe is an extinct genus of palms, represented by one species, Palaeoraphe dominicana from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola, in the modern-day Dominican Republic. [1] [2]

Contents

Discovery and naming

The genus is known from a single, 10.8 millimetres (0.43 in) diameter, full flower. [1] The holotype is currently deposited in the collections of the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, as number "Sd–9–158", where it was studied and described by Dr George Poinar. [1] Dr Poinar published his 2002 type description for Palaeoraphe in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society volume number 139. [1] The genus name is a combination of the Greek word palaios meaning "ancient" and Raphia a genus of palm, while the species name dominicana references the Dominican Republic, where the fossil was discovered. [1] The type specimen was excavated from the La Toca mine northeast of Santiago de los Caballeros. [1]

Taxonomy

Palaeoraphe has been placed in the Corypheae subtribe Livistoninae, which has twelve modern genera found in both the Old World and the New World. [1] Of the three modern genera, the Palaeoraphe flower is similar in character to Brahea , Acoelorrhaphe and Colpothrinax , with the structure being closest in structure to that of Brahea. [1] Both genera have distinct sepals, petals with furrows facing the axis of the flower, and similarly shaped and sized anthers. [1] However, the two genera can be differentiated by the stigmas, which are united for their entire length in Brahea, and by the more relaxed positioning of the anthers in Palaeoraphe. [1] The flower of P. dominicana is a calyx of three broad sepals with irregular to fringed apices. [1] The three petals are joined at their bases and of the six stamins, those paired with petals are relaxed into depressions on the petal surface, while the remaining three stamins are partially erect. [1]

It is proposed by Dr. Poinar that Palaeoraphe may have been a stenotopic genus which was restricted to the Greater Antilles and possibly to just the island of Hispaniola. [1] The extinction of Palaeoraphe may have been caused by floral and faunal shifts during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Triatoma dominicana</i> Extinct species of true bug

Triatoma dominicana is an extinct species of assassin bug in the subfamily Triatominae, the kissing bugs known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<i>Trypanosoma antiquus</i> Extinct species in the kinetoplast class

Trypanosoma antiquus is an extinct species of kinetoplastid, a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa.

Neocorynura electra is an extinct species of sweat bee in the Halictidae genus Neocorynura.

<i>Leptofoenus pittfieldae</i> Extinct species of wasp

Leptofoenus pittfieldae is an extinct species of wasp in the family Pteromalidae. It is known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. The species is known from a single 8.8 millimetres (0.35 in) male specimen excavated from the La Toca mine group northeast of Santiago de los Caballeros in 2008 and deposited in the Insect Fossil Collection at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum in Lawrence, Kansas, where it was studied and described by Dr. Michael S. Engel. The species name pittfieldae honors Ms. Morgan Pittfield, niece of the specimen donor.

<i>Termitaradus mitnicki</i> Extinct species of true bug

Termitaradus mitnicki is an extinct species of true bug in the family Termitaphididae known only from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

Roystonea palaea is an extinct species of palm known from fossil flowers found in the early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. The species is known from a single staminate flower and a single pistillate flower both preserved in the same piece of amber. The amber specimen bearing the holotype and paratype is currently deposited in the collections of the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, as number "Sd–9–101", where it was studied and described by George Poinar. Poinar published his 2002 type description for R. palaea in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 139. The species' second name is taken from the Greek word palaios meaning "ancient". The amber specimen bearing the flowers was excavated from the La Toca mine northeast of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

<i>Araneagryllus</i> Extinct genus of crickets

Araneagryllus is an extinct monotypic genus of cricket in the subfamily Phalangopsinae with the sole species Araneagryllus dylani. The fossil was recovered in the Dominican Republic from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. Araneagryllus is the first Phalangopsinae cricket to be described from the fossil record.

<i>Coprinites</i> Extinct genus of fungi

Coprinites is an extinct monotypic genus of gilled fungus in the Agaricales family Agaricaceae. At present it contains the single species Coprinites dominicana.

Aureofungus is an extinct monotypic genus of gilled fungus in the order Agaricales. At present it contains the single species Aureofungus yaniguaensis.

<i>Protomycena</i> Extinct genus of fungi

Protomycena is an extinct monotypic genus of gilled fungus in the family Mycenaceae, of order Agaricales. At present it contains the single species Protomycena electra, known from a single specimen collected in an amber mine in the Cordillera Septentrional area of the Dominican Republic. The fruit body of the fungus has a convex cap that is 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter, with distantly spaced gills on the underside. The curved stipe is smooth and cylindrical, measuring 0.75 mm (0.030 in) thick by 10 mm (0.39 in) long, and lacks a ring. It resembles extant species of the genus Mycena. Protomycena is one of only five known agaric fungus species known in the fossil record and the second to be described from Dominican amber.

<i>Lutzomyia adiketis</i> Extinct species of fly

Lutzomyia adiketis is an extinct species of sandfly in the moth fly subfamily Phlebotominae. L. adiketis is a vector of the extinct Paleoleishmania neotropicum and both species are solely known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<i>Paleoleishmania</i> Extinct genus of parasitic flagellate protist in the Kinetoplastea class

Paleoleishmania is an extinct genus of kinetoplastids, a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. At present it is placed in the family Trypanosomatidae. The genus contains two species, Paleoleishmania neotropicum and the type species Paleoleishmania proterus.

Pintomyia falcaorum is an extinct species of sandfly in the moth fly subfamily Phlebotominae. P. falcaorum is solely known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<i>Dryinus grimaldii</i> Extinct species of insect

Dryinus grimaldii is an extinct species of wasp in the dryinid genus Dryinus. The species is solely known from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<i>Dryinus rasnitsyni</i> Extinct species of insect

Dryinus rasnitsyni is an extinct species of wasp in the dryinid genus Dryinus. The species is solely known from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<i>Vetufebrus</i> Extinct genus of single-celled organisms

Vetufebrus is an extinct genus of haemospororida in the family Plasmodiidae. At the time of its description the new genus comprised a single species Vetufebrus ovatus known from a single Miocene Dominican amber fossil found on Hispaniola. V. ovatus was vectored by Enischnomyia stegosoma, the first fossil streblid bat fly described from a fossil, and the only member of the subfamily Nycterophiliinae described from Hispaniola. V. ovatus is the first instance of a Streblidae bat fly as a host for a malarial parasite.

Termitaradus dominicanus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from a Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. T. dominicanus is the third species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber after Termitaradus avitinquilinus and Termitaradus mitnicki.

Hymenaea mexicana is an extinct legume species in the family Fabaceae described from a series of isolated fossil petals, leaflets, and amber. The species is known from a group of Late Oligocene to Early Miocene locations in southern Mexico. It is one of two extinct Hymenaea species placed close to the living species Hymenaea verrucosa and along with Hymenaea allendis, is one of the two extinct species which have been found in Mexican amber.

Hymenaea allendis is an extinct legume species in the family Fabaceae described from a single isolated fossil flower in amber. The species is known from a Late Oligocene to Early Miocene location in southern Mexico. Unlike the coeval extinct species Hymenaea mexicana and Hymenaea protera which are placed closer to the living species Hymenaea verrucosa of Africa, H. allendis is closer in relation to the neotropical species of Hymenaea.

<i>Enischnomyia</i> Extinct genus of flies

Enischnomyia is an extinct genus of bat fly in the family Streblidae. At the time of its description the new genus comprised a single species, Enischnomyia stegosoma, known from a single Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. E. stegosoma was the first fossil streblid bat fly described from a fossil, and the only member of the subfamily Nycterophiliinae described from Hispaniola. The species is host for the plasmodiid Vetufebrus ovatus preserved in its salivary glands and midgut.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Poinar, G. (2002). "Fossil palm flowers in Dominican and Baltic amber". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 139 (4): 361–367. doi: 10.1046/j.1095-8339.2002.00052.x .
  2. Iturralde-Vinent, M.A.; MacPhee, R.D.E. (1996). "Age and Paleogeographical Origin of Dominican Amber". Science. 273 (5283): 1850–1852. Bibcode:1996Sci...273.1850I. doi:10.1126/science.273.5283.1850. S2CID   129754021.